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‘Cuddle hormone’ oxytocin can stimulate brain activity in autistic children

For years, researchers have studied the possibility that a hormone called oxytocin could help autistic people better understand social interactions. Often known as the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone" for its ability to bring out feelings of empathy and trust in individuals — not to mention its roles in orgasm and childbirth — scientists discovered that autistic adults who took a few puffs of oxytocin could better identify emotions in others. Now, it appears that oxytocin might be effective in autistic children, too. The Yale Child Study Center conducted an experiment with 17 children suffering from autism spectrum disorder, and found that oxytocin made a difference in brain activity when the children were confronted with a basic social skills test.